Iron supplementation should be monitored closely to ensure optimal iron status.

We thank Drs. Domello¨f and Fewtrell for their thoughtful review of our report. We agree that like all post-hoc analyses, the findings from this study should be interpreted with caution. While we controlled for several potential confounders that affect iron status and neurodevelopment, causation cannot be ascertained. Specifically, feeding volumes were not available, however, in a sensitivity analysis we adjusted for intravenous (IV) iron, which was recommended when feeds were held and served as a proxy for low enteral intake.

source https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(22)00012-9/fulltext?rss=yes